Inclusion of photon production and transport and e(+)e(-) pair production in a particle-in-cell code for astrophysical applications.

摘要

This present study constitutes the first attempt to include, in a particle-in-cell code, the effects of radiation losses, photon production and transport, and charged-particle production by photons scattering in an intense background magnetic field. We discuss the physics and numerical issues that had to be addressed in including these effects in the ISIS code. Then we present a test simulation of the propagation of a pulse of high-energy photons across an intense magnetic field using this modified version of ISIS. This simulation demonstrates dissipation of the photon pulse with charged-particle production, emission of secondary synchrotron and curvature photons and the concomitant momentum dissipation of the charged particles, and subsequent production of lower-energy pairs. 5 refs.